AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEM FOR MOTOR VEHICLE

Abstract

An air-conditioning system for a motor vehicle is disclosed. The air-conditioning system includes a refrigerant circuit for being flowed through by a refrigerant. In the refrigerant circuit, a compressor for compressing the refrigerant, a condenser for condensing the refrigerant subject to passing condensation heat on to a fluid conducted through the condenser, an expansion device for expanding the refrigerant and an evaporator for evaporating the refrigerant are arranged. A coolant circuit is provided fluidically separated from the refrigerant circuit for being flowed through by a coolant. In the coolant circuit at least one heat source for heating the coolant is arranged. The coolant circuit is thermally connected to the refrigerant circuit via the evaporator of the refrigerant circuit, so that in the evaporator heat from the coolant is transferrable to the refrigerant.

Claims

1. An air-conditioning system for a motor vehicle, comprising: a refrigerant circuit for being flowed through by a refrigerant, wherein in the refrigerant circuit a compressor for compressing the refrigerant, a condenser for condensing the refrigerant subject to passing condensation heat on to a fluid conducted through the condenser, an expansion device for expanding the refrigerant and an evaporator for evaporating the refrigerant are arranged, a coolant circuit provided fluidically separated from the refrigerant circuit for being flowed through by a coolant, wherein in the coolant circuit at least one heat source for heating the coolant is arranged, wherein the coolant circuit is thermally connected to the refrigerant circuit via the evaporator of the refrigerant circuit, so that in the evaporator heat from the coolant is transferrable to the refrigerant.

2. The air-conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one heat source includes an electric heating device.

3. The air-conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one heat source includes an electric energy store where the waste heat of the electric energy store generated during operation is transferrable to the coolant.

4. The air-conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one heat source includes an electric drive train where the waste heat of the electric drive train generated during operation is transferrable to the coolant.

5. The air-conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein: in the coolant circuit, fluidically connected in series, a first heat source and a second heat source are arranged, and the first heat source is an electric heating device and the second heat source is an electric energy store.

6. The air-conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein the coolant circuit includes a bypass line, and wherein the coolant is conducted past the at least one heat source via the bypass line.

7. The air-conditioning system according to claim 6, wherein the coolant circuit comprises an adjustable valve device structured and arranged to adjust a portion of coolant that is conducted through the bypass line past the at least one heat source.

8. The air-conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein the condenser is a two-stream heat exchanger that can be flowed through both by the refrigerant and also, fluidically separated from the refrigerant, by a fluid or gas to be heated.

9. The air-conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein in the refrigerant circuit a collection reservoir for buffer-storing refrigerant is arranged.

10. A motor vehicle, comprising: a vehicle interior, an air-conditioning system for air-conditioning the vehicle interior, the air-conditioning system including: a refrigerant circuit for being flowed through by a refrigerant, wherein in the refrigerant circuit a compressor for compressing the refrigerant, a condenser for condensing the refrigerant subject to passing condensation heat on to a fluid conducted through the condenser, an expansion device for expanding the refrigerant and an evaporator for evaporating the refrigerant are arranged, a coolant circuit provided fluidically separated from the refrigerant circuit for being flowed through by a coolant, wherein in the coolant circuit at least one heat source for heating the coolant is arranged, wherein the coolant circuit is thermally connected to the refrigerant circuit via the evaporator of the refrigerant circuit, so that in the evaporator heat from the coolant is transferrable to the refrigerant, an electric drive train, a vehicle coolant circuit for cooling the electric drive train, wherein the coolant circuit of the air-conditioning system is at least partially formed by the vehicle coolant circuit.

11. The motor vehicle according to claim 10, wherein in the vehicle coolant circuit a coolant radiator for transferring heat from the coolant to a gas conducted through the coolant radiator is arranged.

12. The motor vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the at least one heat source includes an electric heating device.

13. The motor vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the at least one heat source includes an electric battery where the waste heat of the electric battery generated during operation is transferrable to the coolant.

14. The motor vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the at least one heat source includes the electric drive train where waste heat of the electric drive train generated during operation is transferrable to the coolant.

15. The motor vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the at least one heat source includes a first heat source and a second heat source fluidically connected in series in the coolant circuit.

16. The motor vehicle according to claim 15, wherein the first heat source is an electric heating device and the second heat source is an electric battery.

17. The motor vehicle according to claim 15, wherein the coolant circuit includes a bypass line, and wherein the coolant is conducted past the second heat source via the bypass line.

18. The motor vehicle according to claim 17, wherein the coolant circuit comprises an adjustable valve device, structured and arranged to adjust a portion of the coolant that is conducted through the bypass line past the second heat source.

19. The motor vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the condenser is a two-stream heat exchanger that can be flowed through by the refrigerant and a fluid or gas to be heated fluidically separated from the refrigerant.

20. The motor vehicle according to claim 10, wherein in the refrigerant circuit a collection reservoir for buffer-storing the refrigerant is arranged.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] It shows, in each case schematically:

[0030] FIG. 1 an example of an air-conditioning system according to the invention in a circuit diagram-like representation,

[0031] FIG. 2 a further development of the example of FIG. 1 having two instead of only one single heat source,

[0032] FIG. 3 a variant of the example of the FIGS. 1 and 2, in which an air-conditioning system is integrated in a motor vehicle, so that the coolant circuit of the air-conditioning system is partially formed by a vehicle coolant circuit of the motor vehicle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] FIG. 1 illustrates in a circuit diagram-like representation an example of an air-conditioning system 1 according to the invention for a motor vehicle 20 which is not shown in more detail in the figures. The air-conditioning system 1 according to the invention includes a refrigerant circuit 2 for being flowed through by a refrigerant K. The refrigerant circuit 2 is designed closed so that the refrigerant K can circulate in the refrigerant circuit 2. In the refrigerant circuit 2, a compressor 3 for compressing the refrigerant K and downstream of the same a condenser 4 for condensing the refrigerant K subject to passing condensation heat on to a fluid F conducted through the condenser 4 are arranged. The said fluid F can be a gas G, for example air L, which in turn serves for heating a vehicle interior 21 of the motor vehicle 20 which is not shown in more detail in the figures. The condenser 4 can be designed as a two-stream heat exchanger which can be flowed through both by the refrigerant K and also, fluidically separated from the same, by the fluid F or gas G to be heated. Further, an expansion device 5 is arranged in the refrigerant circuit 2 downstream of the condenser 4 for expanding the refrigerant K and downstream of the same, an evaporator 6 for evaporating the refrigerant K. In addition, a collection reservoir 7 for buffer-storing the refrigerant K can be arranged in the refrigerant circuit 2.

[0034] Further, the air-conditioning system 1 includes a coolant circuit 10 formed separately from the refrigerant circuit 2 for being flowed through by a coolant KM. The coolant circuit 10 is also designed closed, so that the coolant KM can circulate in the coolant circuit 10. For driving the coolant KM, a delivery device 19, for example in the form of a coolant pump, is arranged in the coolant circuit 10. Furthermore, a heat source 11a for heating the coolant KM is arranged in the coolant circuit 10.

[0035] In the example of FIG. 1, the heat source 11a is an electric heating device 12 by means of which the coolant KM can be heated. The coolant circuit 10 is thermally connected to the refrigerant circuit 2 via the evaporator 6 of the same, so that in the evaporator 6 evaporation heat for evaporating the refrigerant K can be transferred from the coolant KM to the refrigerant K. For this purpose, the evaporator 6 is designed as heat exchanger 8 which can be flowed through both by the refrigerant K and also—fluidically separated from the refrigerant K, by the coolant KM. For this purpose, the evaporator 6 can comprise first fluid paths (not shown for the sake of clarity), which are part of the refrigerant circuit 2, and second fluid paths (not shown for the sake of clarity), which are part of the coolant circuit 10. These first and second fluid paths of the heat exchanger 8 are thermally coupled to one another so that heat can be transferred from the coolant KM to the refrigerant K.

[0036] FIG. 2 shows a further development of the example of FIG. 1. In the example of FIG. 2, a first and a second heat source 11a, 11b fluidically connected in series are arranged in the coolant circuit 10. The first heat source 11a is formed by the electric heating device 12 already explained by way of FIG. 1 and the second heat source is formed by an electric energy store 13 in the form of an electric battery 14 which waste heat generated during the operation can be transferred to the coolant KM. In this way, even two different heat sources 11a, 11b can be utilised in order to make heat available to the refrigerant circuit 2. In the case that the air-conditioning system 1 is part of a motor vehicle 20 or electric vehicle, the electric energy store 13 or the battery 14 can be part of the motor vehicle 20 or of the electric vehicle.

[0037] In the example of FIG. 2, the coolant circuit 10 includes a bypass line 9, by means of which the coolant KM can be conducted past the second heat source 11b. In this way it can be achieved that the heat made available by the second heat source 11b is supplied to the coolant KM only when required.

[0038] In the example of FIG. 2, the said bypass is realised by means of a fluidic parallel connection 12 with two fluid branches 16a, 16b arranged in parallel. In the first fluid branch 16a, the second heat source 11b, i.e. the electric energy store 13 or the battery 14 is arranged. The second fluid branch 16b forms the bypass line 9 which is conducted past the second heat source 11b. The entire fluidic parallel connection 12 in turn is fluidically arranged in series with the first heat source 11a, so that the coolant KM cannot be conducted past the same.

[0039] In the example of FIG. 2, the coolant circuit 10 includes an adjustable valve device 17 in the form of a three-way valve 18. By means of the valve device 17, the portion of the coolant KM circulating in the coolant circuit 10 that is conducted through the first fluid branch 16a and thus through the second heat source 11b and the portion of the coolant KM circulating in the coolant circuit 10 that is conducted through the fluid branch 16b forming the bypass line 9 that is conducted past the second heat source 11b can be adjusted.

[0040] FIG. 3 shows a variant of the example of the FIGS. 1 and 2. In the example of FIG. 3, the heat source 11a is an electric drive train 23 of the motor vehicle 20 or electric vehicle, which can include an electric motor 25. The waste heat generated during the operation of the electric drive train 23 can thus be transferred to the coolant AM. Furthermore, the motor vehicle 20 includes a vehicle coolant circuit 22 for cooling the electric drive train 23. The coolant circuit 10 of the air-conditioning system 1 forms a part of the vehicle coolant circuit 22.

[0041] As is evident from FIG. 3, a coolant radiator 24 for transferring heat from the coolant KM to a fluid F or gas G conducted through the coolant radiator 24 is additionally arranged in the vehicle coolant circuit 22.